The things we never said
by the ticking clock
Summary: With some friends, words are simply not needed
1. Chapter 1

**With true best friends, words are simply not nessacery...here is a collection of one-shots that show the things Aragorn and Legolas never needed to say. Reviews make me happy :)**

**1. I will never leave you alone...  
><strong>

Legolas tilted his face up, a beatific smile lighting up his face. He sighed contently. "Do you not love the rain?"

Boromier looked at the elf with something close to disgust, but Aragorn let out a bark of laughter. "You never change, mellon nin."

Legolas's lowered his head, turning his gleaming eyes on the ranger. "It is no fault of mine that humans catch cold," He teased.

Aragorn grinned. "If you love the rain so much, why don't you stay out in it while we go rest in a cave?"

The elf made a sound akin to a growl. "You would never do that to me Estel."

Gimli grunted. "I'd take a cave any day over this blasted weather."

Legolas leaped lightly up into the trees, seeming to glow faintly in response to the jagged fork of lightning that split the sky. "Go sleep in you cave."

The hobbits, eager for their next meal and a good night sleep, readily agreed sprinting in the cave without hesitation. Boromier glanced at Aragorn. "Aren't you coming?"

The Ranger shook his head.

Boromier rolled his eyes and followed the hobbits into the darkness.

Aragorn leaped, gripping the wet, slippery bark and swinging himself up into the tree. He fell almost immideatly.

A slender hand snagged his wrist and he looked up to see Legolas regarding him with wry amusement. The elf effortlessly pulled his friend up into the tree beside him.

Aragon grinned at him. "Mae govannon."

Legolas rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around the human, leaning back against the trunk of the tree as the storm raged around them. "Idiotic human…" He muttered.

But Aragorn could hear the gratefulness behind the elf's teasing tone, so he smiled and settled down in Legolas's arms to spend the night in a tree.

**2. You do not have to suffer in silence...  
><strong>

"Why do I always trust you?" Legolas moaned as they groped blindly in the dark of Moria.

Aragorn smiled. "Perhaps, mellon nin, because I always have a plan."

He heard Legolas's sharp hiss. "_You _always have a plan? A plan to get us killed?"

"We are not dead yet," Aragorn reminded him.

"Yet."

Aragorn could almost feel Boromier rolling his eyes. He put a hand on the man's shoulder. "Don't," He murmered. "It comforts him."

"Elves don't like caves, do they Strider?" Pippen whispered next to him.

Aragorn smiled down at the hobbit. "No, Pippen. They do not."

"I have ears you know," Legolas's annoyed voice drifted up from behind them.

"We will stop for the night," Gandalf called.

The hobbits drifted off to be together. Boromier stayed more or less with Aragorn. Watching as the Ranger approached his elven friend.

Aware that Boromier was eavesdropping, Aragorn slipped into Sinderian. "How are you, mellon nin?"

Legolas turned his face away. "Fine."

Aragorn laughed quietly. "You have a very broad definition of fine, Las."

The elf smiled faintly, but when he turned to look at Aragorn, there was no humor in his eyes. "It's so dark," He whispered.

Aragorn put an arm around his friend's shoulders. "It brings back memories, does it not?"

Legolas nodded.

"If you told the others-"

"Why would I tell them?" Legolas asked a bit scornfully. "They would not understand."

Aragorn looked at him.

The elf was tense as a hunting cat, his eyes flashing in the darkness. "Perhaps they would."

"I do not think so."

Aragorn squeezed the elf's shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Legolas closed his eyes. "No…"

"That was not convincing."

Legolas turned his face into Aragorn's shoulder. Aragorn could feel the tremors that racked his friend as the elf tried to hold back his sobs.

"Shh…" The Ranger murmered, holding his friend close. "The darkness will not last forever."

Boromier shuddered as Aragorn's steely gray eyes locked on his own. He could not help but think of Faramier as he watched Legolas sob into his friend's shoulder. Because that was what Aragorn and Legolas were. Brothers.

**3. Thank you**

Legolas felt his lips curl into a small smile as Aragorn approached. The man was the king of Gondor now…no longer the sweet little boy called hope that he had met, eighty five years ago. He had seen so much, been through so much pain…how could this be the boy who had begged him to play? This was a man who had seen countless battles. But when Aragorn reached him, Legolas saw a glimmer of the carefree boy he had once been. Aragorn grasped his shoulder, and Legolas looked up at his friend.

Aragorn's face was full of hundreds of different emotions, but he only squeezed Legolas's shoulder and whispered, "Hannon Le,"

And those two words said it all.

**4. I will never forget you  
><strong>

Legolas stared out at the glimmering sea from the bow of the ship. It's beauty held no joy for him. He was vuagly aware that his hands were curled into fists by his sides, his nails biting into his flesh with almost bruising force. The pain could not districat him though.

He closed his eyes, letting the pain rip through him as the gulls screamed overhead. Each cry pierced him like a knife. Each wound that the knife inflicted had a name…_Estel, Estel, Estel._

**5. our Friendship and the dangers we find ourselves in is what makes life worth living  
><strong>

"Why is it?" Legolas demanded. "That whenever we travel together, all of our plans go hideously wrong and we lie near death?"

Aragorn, his face twisted in pain, managed a laugh. "I have no idea, mellon nin."

"I mean," Legolas grunted, shoving all his body weight against the granite that pinned them in place, "What did we do to deserve this?"

"Nothing," Aragorn replied, wincing as blood ran down the side of his face.

"I suppose the question," Legolas said, his voice rising slightly now. "Is, why do your plans always lead us to a place where it is dark, we are injured, and we have no hope of escaping?"

"Well," Aragorn said after a slight hesitation, "Are enemies have no chance of finding us either."

Legolas released his pent up breath in an explosive sigh. "Maybe that is because we are _buried _under tones of rock in an _avalanche!" _

Aragorn smiled. "That is precisely why."

Legolas finally collapsed, turning his head slightly to look at his friend. "If we survive this," He said. "I am never letting you "show me a short cut" again. Ever."

Aragorn grinned. "I will hold you to that promise."

Legolas grimaced. "And I will break it and we will end up in yet another perilous situation."

"Of course."

Legolas sighed. "You owe me, human. Our next hunting trip will be in a marvelous forest where I can see the sky. Not in a rocky place where there are landslides."

"Whatever makes you happy, Las."

Legolas suddenly smiled. "Estel?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

**6. You will never truly leave me  
><strong>

Aragorn was hardly aware of where he was going. He was exhausted-beyond exhausted, really, but he had to see the king. He was so intent on his destination that he hardly saw Legolas until he almost ran into him. He stopped short.

Legolas met his gaze with his icy blue eyes, and Aragorn saw a dozen emotions flicker across his face: grief, happiness, pain…He was almost afraid of the grief he had caused his best friend. If Legolas had been the one who had died…he did not even want to the think of that.

Legolas raised his chin, the beginnings of a smirk on his fair face. "You're late."

Whatever Aragorn had expected him to say, this was not it. He stared at the elf in shock. Had grief made his friend mad? How could Legolas jest at a time like this?

Legolas slowly loward his eyes, taking in Aragorn's bedraggled appearance. "You look terrible."

And then Aragorn smiled, and he felt a laugh bubble up inside him. He grasped his friend's shoulder, and felt Legolas's slender hand squeeze his shoulder so tightly he thought the elf would dislocate it. Legolas glanced down, drawing Aragorn's attention away from his face, and Aragorn saw what was in his hand.

Arwen's pendant.

Legolas slipped the Evenstar gently into Aragorn's hand. Aragorn glanced quickly up at his friend. How had he known? How had he kept it?

Legolas just looked at him, smiling.

Aragorn dipped his head. "Thank you," Was all he could say.

Legolas's eyes widened slightly, and he stared at Aragorn as if for the first time. "You're here," He whispered, reaching up to touch his friend's shoulder. "You're really here."

Aragorn caught the slender hand in his own bloodstained, filthy one. "Yes."

Legolas's fingers gripped his tightly. "Oh Estel…" In his voice was the raw pain he had been experiencing over the past days. The terrible grief.

Aragorn pulled his friend into a quick embrace. "I'm so sorry, mellon nin."

He felt Legolas sigh shakily, hold the tears back, and the elf whispered. "Next time you want to fall off a cliff, make sure I am there to save you Tithen Pen."

Aragorn smiled, relishing this moment with his best friend. Soon, hell would break loose. He needed to tell Theoden that an army was coming. But for the moment, he was able to laugh and joke with Legolas.

"All right mellon nin."

**7. Sometimes you need to be scolded  
><strong>

"Aragorn, you must rest! You're no use to us half dead!"

Legolas's exasperated voice cut through Aragorn's haze. The elf rarely called him Aragorn. He ignored his friend's comment however, and continued on, pushing through the crowd of women, old men and children.

He was tired, and the healer in him told him he had to rest, but the warrior in him contained the healer. He could not rest when a battle needed to be fought. Legolas should understand.

But he did.

Aragorn knew he did…Legolas was as much of a warrior as he was, if not more. The elf was just worried for him. Though Aragorn would never admit it, he knew that if he were in Legolas's position he would be just as worried, if not more.

Legolas trailed behind him, obviously knowing that there was nothing he could do to convince Aragorn to rest. The elf occasionally bumped him with his shoulder. If Legolas had been human Aragorn would have assumed the elf had tripped. But Legolas would never lose his balance like that.

"Idiotic human," The elf breathed in his ear. "If you collapse from exhaustion I am not going to save you. I will be standing over you saying, 'I told you so,'"

At this, Aragorn had to smile, because he knew his friend was lying. Legolas would always save him, every time.

**8. You're my best friend  
><strong>

"Las?" Estel murrmered.

Cool hands stroked his head, and Legolas's soft voice answered, "Yes, Estel?"

"Are we friends?"

"Of course, Tithen Pen."

'Are we best friends?"

Legolas laughed quietly. "Why are you asking such questions Estel? You should be sleeping."

"I'm not tired."

Another laugh. "I know."

"are you tired?"

"No I am not."

"Las?"

"yes, little one?"

"Will you stay with me tonight?"

The covers rustled, and Legolas's warm, strong arms encircled him. "Will you sleep?"

"Maybe…"

Legolas pressed a kiss against his forehead. "Sleep, Estel."

**9. I would die for you  
><strong>

Blood soaked his hands.

Aragorn pressed his palms against his friend's heaving chest, stanching the bleeding. "Legolas!"

The elf moaned faintly, eyelids fluttering.

Aragorn washed bandages and wound them tightly around his friend's torso. "Las?" He murmered, putting a hand to the elf's sweaty forehead.

Legolas's dull eyes focused on him. "Estel?"

Aragorn forced himself to smile. "Yes, mellon nin. Don't move."

The elf groaned, shifting his position slightly. "What happened?"

"You saved me."

"I should have known." Legolas muttered. He glanced at Aragorn distrustfully. "You aren't going to drug me are you?"

Aragorn looked regretfully at the muddy mixture of herbs in a cup. "I'm afraid so."

"_why?" _The elf moaned, sounding like a child.

"Because sleep will help you heal."

"Why can't I fall asleep on my own?"

"You'll wake up."

Legolas rolled his eyes. "When I am well again you blasted human…"

"You'll kill me?" Aragorn said loftily, lifting the cup to Legolas's lips. "Sogo." (Drink)

Legolas eyed the mixture with distaste. "I hate it."

"Stop being such a child. its taste hasn't changed in all the years you've been drinking it."

"Exactly."

"Stop getting gravely injured and you will not have to drink it anymore."

Legolas glared at him. "I always get "gravely injured" saving you."

Aragorn smirked. "Sogo, you stubborn elf!"

Legolas lifted the cup to his lips. "I am never going to forgive you."

Aragorn gently caught his friend as the elf's eyes flickered closed. "I know," He murmured to the sleeping elf. "You'll forgive me as soon as you wake up."

**10. Sometimes, all I have our memories to hold onto, but when they are memories of laughter and your childhood, they are worth remebering  
><strong>

"Will you tell us a story Legolas?" Pippen asked when they were sitting, waiting for Frodo and Sam to wake.

Legolas glanced down at the little hobbit. "What kind of story?"

"A happy one," The hobbit replied earnestly. "I've had enough of battles and death and glory…"

Legolas felt his heart contract. Not so very long ago Pippen would have begged him (and the rest of the fellowship) for a story of battle. How very different they all were…

He forced himself to smile. "All right…I'll tell you about something that happened around eighty years ago in Rivendell…

"No embarrassing stories Legolas!" Aragorn called from the next room.

Legolas grinned. "There once was a small human boy called Estel…"

"Legolas!"

**11. Immortality changes nothing between us  
><strong>

Legolas rested his head gently against his friend's shoulder. When had Estel grown up? He was a king now…a man. He was Aragorn.

"What are you thinking about?" Aragorn said quietly.

"You."

His friend smiled. "What about me?"

"You've grown so much Estel…" Legolas murmured. "So much."

"And you still look the same, " Aragorn mused, tugging on a lock of the elf's golden hair.

"Yes…" Legolas swatted his friend's hand away, reaching up to tug on Aragorn's own hair. "Is that a gray hair I see?"

"Las!" The human shoved Legolas away from him in indignation.

Legolas smiled. "Touchy, touchy…" He advanced. "Is there more then one?" He squinted. "one, two, three…"

Aragorn cuffed him on the side of the head. "Stop!"

Legolas flicked his friend back. "All right grumpy old man."

"I am NOT old!"

Legolas smirked. "Why do you have gray hairs then?"

Aragorn made a sound akin to a growl. "I am going to kill you!"

Legolas laughed out loud. "If only you could catch me!"

**Review?  
><strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**12. I understand **Legolas ran his hand through the young humans hair, tousling the dark locks between his fingers. "Whatever am I going to do with you, Estel?"

Estel sighed, wrapping his arms around his legs and resting his chin on his knees. He stared reflectively into the distance, and Legolas saw that the human was far away, lost in his own thoughts. He was such a dreamer, this child.

After a time, Estel looked up at him, his eyes displaying emotion beyond his fifteen years. "Las? can I ask you something?"

Taken aback, Legolas nodded, wondering what could have brought on the sudden urgency in his friend's tone.

"Have you...have you..." Estel seemed to struggle with his words for a moment. He bit his lip, his dark eyebrows furrowing with frustration. "have you ever felt...different?"

Legolas moved closer to the child, aware of the emotions that his young friend was experiencing. Estel's face was flushed and his silver eyes were a little wild. He was, Legolas reflected humoressly, like a young, unsteady stallion, that needs to be calmed before he can begin to race. Legolas put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Yes, Estel, I have."

The human glared out over the horizon, his fingers curling in against his palms. "I'm afraid," He admitted in a biting tone. He looked down at his hands. "and I don't know why."

"Fear," Legolas said softly, "only means that you are uncertain of what is to come, and you know what?"

When the human did not respond, Legolas titled the boys chin so Estel was looking right into his eyes. "I personally think supersises make life exciting."

**13. I'll always rescue you** Aragorn clenched his eyes shut and gritted his teeth as another excruciating tremor racked him, his bodies method for fighting off the pain-filled signals his nerves were sending him. He balled his bloody hands into fists, face contorting with the effort not to scream. A soft whimper escaped his throat, and his captors whirled towards him. "you say something, scum?" The monster's face leered down at him. Aragorn saw saliva drip from the creatures bared fangs and fought the urge to cringe back. The orc smelled like rotten meat.

"I asked you a question." The orc hissed, gripping Aragorn's chin with fingers like steel razors, his grimy nails biting deep into the man's flesh. "answer you filthy-"

A flash of gold spun in the corner of Aragorn's vision and howls filled the interior, bouncing off the walls of the cave with deafening intensity. Aragorn could make out the hiss of arrows as they sped through the air with deadly accuracy.

It was only a matter of seconds before metal gleamed on the orc that was holding him's throat as two knives were pressed to the creatures neck.

The knives moved in a quick slash, and the orc collapsed with a chocked gurgle.

Legolas stood in front of Aragorn, panting. He was splattered with blood and gore, and there was a long gash that ran from his temple, to his chin in a slash of ugly red. The elf glared at him for a moment, blue eyes flashing. He sheathed his knives and knelt next to Aragorn. The prince put a hand on his shoulder and ran his bright eyes quickly over the humans wounds, assessing the damage. "You foolish human," Legolas finally said, his words came in a low his, but the affection behind them were obvious, "why must I always come and rescue you?"

Aragorn smiled up at him. "I could have escaped."

The elf rolled his eyes. "Oh Estel, I'm sure you could have."

**14. I will always be here for you...to help you remember the happier times...**The nightmares still haunt him, even after so many years. He still feels the oppressing cold, the haunting dark, the feel of fire burning his flesh, of hands beating him, the sound of laughter-

Legolas jerked upright with a gasp and sat panting struggling to calm himself enough to drift back into his dreams. He rested his head on his knees and sighed shakily, gripping the blankets hard to stop his hands from trembling.

"mellon?"

Legolas looked up.

Aragorn is standing at the foot of the bed, hands half outstretched as though to embrace him. The human is dressed in a simple night shift, his dark hair wild, his eyes an eery silver, shot through with sparks of white from the illuminating moon.

the human sat down beside Legolas, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Legolas shook his head and rested his forehead once more against his knees. "I just wish...I wish they wouldn't surprise me like this. I go for months without a nightmare and then..." He hissed.

Aragorn was quiet for a long time, but then he leaned closer to his friend, squeezing his shoulder. "Weren't you the one who told me surprises are what makes like exciting, Las?"


	3. Chapter 3

**15. Where are you?**

The cell was dark.

That was all he saw, all he felt. Cold. Dark. Despair.

Legolas wrapped his arms around his knees, resting his chin on top of them, and shuddered, closing his eyes. He did not cry out, he did not scream, he did not plead. He only sat, in the bitter, horrible darkness, the manacles around his wrist cutting deep into his flesh, his burns and pains throbbing like the dull glow of hot coals. As much as his body ached, it was the horrible, suffocating feeling of being underground that was doing the real damage. He needed air. He needed sun. He needed to hear the song of the stars, listen to the whisper of the trees.

He clenched his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, pressing his forehead against his knees and struggling to breathe deeply. He clenched his hands into fists, and could not surpress a small gasp of pain as the manacles bit even deeper into the skin of his wrists. A single tear slipped down his cheek.

_Aragorn..._he thought. _where __are __you __when __I __need __you?_

__**16. we are friends...  
><strong>

Estel had grown up around elves.

He was used to their comings and goings, their musical voices, their mood changes, and their discapline. So when he met the young prince of Mirkwood, he expected Legolas to be the same as the other noble elves Elrond often introduced him too. He was wrong.

His first impression of the prince was the sound of joyous laughter and a flash of green as the elf leaped from branch to branch. Estel stared. The elf was strange.

Legolas landed amid a flurry of leaves, glancing up at Estel with bright eyes, and a friendly smile. "Hello little one," He said. "Could you help me escape from those obnoxious twins?"

Estel grinned, knowing that he had just found his first friend.

**17. The pain of losing you is impossible to bear**

Pain was not something you could ever really get used too.

Legolas had lived hundreds of years, and had experianced almost every kind of torture possible, and still, the burn of fire or the sting of an arrow never failed to make him flinch. But it was the pain of losing a friend, that tormented him now.

_"__Estel!__" _

The boy screamed, struggling to free himself from his captors, one had reached imploringly towards his best friend, his silver eyes full of tears, wide, innocent, and anguished.

Legolas twisted, but the strong hands locked down on his arms, the grimy nails biting deep into his flesh. "Stay still, pretty elf..." The orc crooned in his ear.

Legolas let out a sharp cry and kicked the orc between the legs. the hands gripping him went slack, and Legolas sprang foward in a blur of motion, running towards the boy as fast as his legs could carry him. He doged arrows, spears, swords, spinning and twisting, his eyes never leaving Estel's tormented face.

The boy's eyes widened. "Las!"

to late, Legolas realized his friend was trying to warn him. Pain exploded behind his eyes, and the last he heard was the sound of Estel's tortured scream.

**18. We are brothers**

Their friendship was so easy, so effortless, all who saw the two interact could witness their bond. Whether it was easy banter, arguments, or simply a gentle touch on the arm or a shared smile, it was clear that these two creatures-a man and an elf-were brothers. And nothing would ever change that.

**19. You are one of the only people who can truly comfort me**

Aragorn woke to the sound of screams.

He bolted upright, yanking his dagger from it's sheath and brandishing it at an invisible enemy, silver eyes flashing.

Frodo was kneeling next to him, his blue eyes wide in the light of the moon. "It's Legolas," He said, "he's-" but Aragorn was already pushing past him.

the rest of the fellowship was clustered around the elf, who was spasming on the ground, whimpering and shaking in his sleep.

"He won't wake," Gandalf said in Elvish so only Aragorn could hear, "I didn't want to wake you since you've barely slept these past three days, but the others are worried."

Aragorn rolled his eyes. "You should have woken me immidiatly." He bent over the elf, placing a hand on his brow. "Las." He said gently.

The elf shivered.

"You know that this has passed, Lasse." Aragorn breathed. "Their is no more darkness...no more pain...do you remember what we promised you? what your father promised you, Legolas Thrandullion?" he slipped from Elvish into the Common tongue then, bending lower over his friend. "Wake, Legolas."

The prince sat upright with a gasp, his head nearly colliding with Aragorn's. He stared at the concerned fellowship like a cornered wildcat, panting, his eyes shining in the dimness.

Aragorn squeezed his friend's fingers, and pulled him to his feet, leading the elf away from the onlookers.

Legolas rested his golden head against Aragorn's shoulder. "Hannon Le." He breathed.

Aragorn smiled. "Always, Las. you don't have to thank me."

Legolas laughed very quietly, a sign that the memories were already fading, vanishing into the dark places of his thoughts. "And I always do."

**20. Our friendship is like air-we need it to survive**

****Legolas rolled his eyes. "How can you jest in a time like this?"

Aragorn grimaced, trying to smile. "Oh mellon nin, you can always find humor in a situtaion."

"What humor is there in _this _situation? we are going to die!"

The human shrugged, leaning foward so he put more weight on the block of ice. "I suppose it is ironic that you finally have the two things you need most-the sea, and me. The best of both worlds."

Legolas glared at him. "That is not funny, Aragorn."

Aragorn unsheathed his knife and held it poised over the ice. "Shall we go for a swim?"

the elf groaned. "Sometimes, I don't know why I keep you around Ellesar. you are as much a child now as you were when you were two years old. If not more."

"King's must have fun as well, Las. and you can't pretend you haven't gotten into trouble before."

"The differance between you and me," legoals said through gritted teeth, "Is that I get into trouble, but I keep a clear head. you go mad with the strain and act like a three year old."

Aragorn grinned. "We all have our own ways of dealing with stress."

The prince rolled his eyes. "Please let me know when Strider, the logical, clear-headed Ranger returns, and Estel, the child with his head in the clouds, leaves."

"I will."

Legolas cuffed the human over the head. "Just be quiet Estel, so I can think of a way out of this situation."

"Always look on the bright side, little prince."

legolas pressed his forehead against his knees and groaned. "Estel..."


End file.
